# Doctor Dolittle — The Story of Doctor Dolittle character guide > Doctor Dolittle in The Story of Doctor Dolittle by Hugh Lofting. **Role:** major **Also known as:** John Dolittle, John, Doctor, the Doctor **First appearance:** 0001-the-story-of-doctor-dolittle ## Snapshot A gentle Puddleby physician who trades paying patients for talking animals, then sails to Africa to cure a monkey epidemic. ## Who they are John Dolittle is the beloved doctor of Puddleby-on-the-Marsh, a man whose house overflows with rabbits, mice, a hedgehog, and a parrot named Polynesia. When his animal menagerie drives away every paying patient and his sister Sarah scolds him for it, he chooses the animals anyway — a choice that leaves him nearly penniless but fluent in their speech. That gift turns him from a failed country doctor into the one man the world's animals trust, and it is why a message from sick monkeys in Africa will soon pull him out to sea. ## Relationships ### [Jip](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_story_of_doctor_dolittle_se/characters/jip) _friendship_ Jip is Doctor Dolittle's loyal and brave dog, accompanying him on adventures. ### [Prince Bumpo](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_story_of_doctor_dolittle_se/characters/prince_bumpo) _friendship_ Doctor Dolittle helps Prince Bumpo with his wish to become white, and they become allies. ### [Ben Ali](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_story_of_doctor_dolittle_se/characters/ben_ali) _rivalry_ Ben Ali, the Barbary pirate, is an antagonist who clashes with Doctor Dolittle. ### [Chee-Chee](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_story_of_doctor_dolittle_se/characters/chee_chee) _friendship_ Chee-Chee, a monkey, is a close companion and helper to Doctor Dolittle. ### [Polynesia](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_story_of_doctor_dolittle_se/characters/polynesia) _friendship_ Polynesia, a parrot, is Doctor Dolittle's wise and talkative friend who teaches him animal language. ### [Dab-Dab](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_story_of_doctor_dolittle_se/characters/dab_dab) _friendship_ Dab-Dab, a duck, is a devoted and practical member of Doctor Dolittle's household. ### [Gub-Gub](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_story_of_doctor_dolittle_se/characters/gub_gub) _friendship_ Gub-Gub, a pig, is a gluttonous but affectionate pet of Doctor Dolittle. ### [Sarah Dolittle](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_story_of_doctor_dolittle_se/characters/sarah_dolittle) _family_ Sarah Dolittle is Doctor Dolittle's sister, who disapproves of his animal-filled household. ### [Too-Too](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_story_of_doctor_dolittle_se/characters/too_too) _friendship_ Too-Too, an owl, is a wise and helpful friend to Doctor Dolittle. ### [White Men](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_story_of_doctor_dolittle_se/characters/white_men) _social_ White Men are European explorers or colonizers who encounter Doctor Dolittle in Africa. ### [Ermintrude](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_story_of_doctor_dolittle_se/characters/ermintrude) _social_ Doctor Dolittle meets Princess Ermintrude briefly in the context of the Jolliginki conflict. ### [Jip](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_story_of_doctor_dolittle_se/characters/jip) _friendship_ Jip is Doctor Dolittle's loyal and brave dog, accompanying him on adventures. ## In the story ### [The Story of Doctor Dolittle](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_story_of_doctor_dolittle_se/chapters/the-story-of-doctor-dolittle) The protagonist, a doctor with a peculiar life who learns animal language. ### [Puddleby](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_story_of_doctor_dolittle_se/chapters/i-puddleby) Introduced as a proper doctor who loves animals more than people, leading to his financial decline. ### [Animal Language](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_story_of_doctor_dolittle_se/chapters/ii-animal-language) Learns animal language from Polynesia and becomes an animal doctor. ### [More Money Troubles](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_story_of_doctor_dolittle_se/chapters/iii-more-money-troubles) Rescues Chee-Chee and the crocodile, refuses to send them away, and remains unworried about money despite growing poverty. ### [A Message from Africa](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_story_of_doctor_dolittle_se/chapters/iv-a-message-from-africa) Receives the message from Africa and decides to go despite having no money; borrows a boat and organizes the journey. ### [The Great Journey](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_story_of_doctor_dolittle_se/chapters/v-the-great-journey) Leads the journey to Africa, remains calm during the shipwreck, and is taken before the King of the Jolliginki. ### [VI: Polynesia and the King](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_story_of_doctor_dolittle_se/chapters/vi-polynesia-and-the-king) Imprisoned by the King; relies on Polynesia's trickery to escape. ### [VII: The Bridge of Apes](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_story_of_doctor_dolittle_se/chapters/vii-the-bridge-of-apes) Leads the group, carries Gub-Gub and the luggage, trips over his medicine-bag, and is the last to cross the bridge of apes. ### [The Leader of the Lions](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_story_of_doctor_dolittle_se/chapters/viii-the-leader-of-the-lions) Works tirelessly to vaccinate and treat thousands of sick monkeys, organizes a hospital, and persuades the animals to help. ### [The Monkeys' Council](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_story_of_doctor_dolittle_se/chapters/ix-the-monkeys-council) Announces his intention to return to Puddleby to pay his debts, prompting the monkeys' council. ### [The Rarest Animal of All](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_story_of_doctor_dolittle_se/chapters/x-the-rarest-animal-of-all) Agrees to take the pushmi-pullyu home to earn money, gives a farewell speech to the monkeys, and departs for the seashore. ### [XI: The Black Prince](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_story_of_doctor_dolittle_se/chapters/xi-the-black-prince) Leads the group after farewell with monkeys, gets lost in jungle, recaptured and imprisoned by the King. ### [Medicine and Magic](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_story_of_doctor_dolittle_se/chapters/xii-medicine-and-magic) Mixes a whitening potion for Prince Bumpo to secure their escape from prison; later expresses regret and concern about the potion's permanence. ### [XIII: Red Sails and Blue Wings](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_story_of_doctor_dolittle_se/chapters/xiii-red-sails-and-blue-wings) Leads the escape from the pirates by following the swallows' advice. ### [The Rats’ Warning](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_story_of_doctor_dolittle_se/chapters/xiv-the-rats-warning) Heeds the rats' warning and later escapes pirates by boarding their ship. ### [The Barbary Dragon](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_story_of_doctor_dolittle_se/chapters/xv-the-barbary-dragon) Negotiates with Ben Ali and the sharks, sparing the pirates and ordering them to become farmers. ### [XVI: Too-Too, the Listener](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_story_of_doctor_dolittle_se/chapters/xvi-too-too-the-listener) Leads the exploration of the pirate ship and decides to break down the locked door to help the weeping captive. ### [VII: The Ocean Gossips](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_story_of_doctor_dolittle_se/chapters/vii-the-ocean-gossips) Rescues the boy from the rum-room, comforts him, and consults the porpoises to find news of his uncle. ### [Smells](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_story_of_doctor_dolittle_se/chapters/xviii-smells) Organizes the search for the boy's uncle, first via eagles and then by consulting Jip. ### [The Rock](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_story_of_doctor_dolittle_se/chapters/xix-the-rock) Steers the ship according to Jip's directions, investigates the rock, and enters the cave to find the sleeping man. ### [The Fisherman's Town](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_story_of_doctor_dolittle_se/chapters/xx-the-fisherman-s-town) Wakes the fisherman gently, accepts the town's gratitude and gifts, and prepares to return home. ### [Home Again](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_story_of_doctor_dolittle_se/chapters/xxi-home-again) Returns to Puddleby a rich man after traveling as a showman with the pushmi-pullyu; refuses to sell the creature; buys new ships, pays debts, and acquires multiple money-boxes. ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_story_of_doctor_dolittle_se/characters/doctor_dolittle - Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_story_of_doctor_dolittle_se - All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_story_of_doctor_dolittle_se/characters